print this article | 
e-mail this article
comment 
Gleneagles Community Centre The Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center International Criminal Court San Jose City Hall Byron G. Rogers U.S. Courthouse U.S. Post Office and Courthouse Brooklyn U.S. Census Bureau Limerick County Council Redmond City Hall
International Criminal Court
Parking deck repurposed for a court with international reach
Based on what you have seen and read about this project, how would you grade it? Use the stars below to indicate your assessment, five stars being the highest rating.
Established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, genocide, and similar atrocities, the International Criminal Court (ICC) quickly outgrew its temporary home within a larger office building in The Hague. It needed more court rooms as well as support spaces. After a feasibility study, the ICC decided to repurpose a parking deck at the building’s north side.
Converting a park deck presented a significant design challenge: how to make low-ceilinged, claustrophobic spaces feel welcoming and protective, as well as give them the respectful look of an international organization. An additional challenge was carving out two well-proportioned courts within poorly proportioned volumes, and to create a smooth circulation system that could accommodate separate routes for judges, clerks, suspects, and members of the public.
The new volume doesn’t stand out because of an outspoken shape, as the existing office building does, but is defined by a subtly varied facade that lends it a strong, elegant appearance. Its cladding is made of two differently shaped aluminum panels that are anodized in two different colors. The new courts occupy space on what had been the parking deck’s top level, while lower floors include public areas such as the lobby, a library, and press briefing room. In order to avoid reducing the height of these seven-foot-high spaces any more than was necessary, the architect placed all HVAC and electrical conduits inside the walls.
Formal name of project:
International Criminal Court
Location:
The Hague, The Netherlands
Gross square footage:
80,514 sq. ft. (20,129 sq. ft. all-new)
Total construction cost:
$17.5 million
Architect:
Rijksgebouwendienst (Dutch Governmental Building Agency)
PO Box 20592
NL 2500 EZ The Hague
31-(0)-70-3398998 tel.
31-(0)-70-3394909 fax
About the people and products behind this project
Subscribe to Get Free Architectural Record newsletter | Architectural Record in print | Back Issues | Manage your subscription | Get Architectural Record digitally
Reader Comments:
Reader Comments:
| Leave a comment: | Anonymous comment |
